Rooney Reflects on England's Semifinal Loss to Argentina

Wayne Rooney noted that England did not know how to react after taking the lead against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal held on July 15, 2026. England went ahead in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon finished a cross from Morgan Rodgers. However, following their goal, England struggled to maintain control of the match. Argentina, led by captain Lionel Messi, scored two late goals, culminating in a 2-1 victory for Argentina.

Rooney expressed disappointment following the defeat, stating, "We got ourselves in such a good position, and then we didn’t know what to do. We sat back, we allowed them to come onto us. They were creating a number of chances, then we cracked. Really disappointed.”

This defeat marked the end of England’s pursuit of their first World Cup final since 1966, leading to reflections on a campaign that previously boasted victories over Mexico and Norway in the knockout stages.

Argentina, on the other hand, remained on track to defend the trophy they won in Qatar four years ago, positioning themselves for a Sunday final against Spain. Spain advanced by defeating France 2-0 in the other semifinal, with Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro each contributing a goal.

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